In NBC News and SSRS exit polls for the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, AI and data center expansion ranked last among voter priorities. Fifty-six percent of respondents called the issue a decisive or important factor in how they voted.

Government corruption led the five topics surveyed at 90 percent. Cost of living followed at 89 percent, then the war in Iran at 74 percent and immigration enforcement at 73 percent.

The report says public interest in AI has grown in recent months. It still trailed every other issue by a wide margin.

This is a sourced summary of reporting by The Decoder, not firsthand reporting.